The Reluctant Assistant - Book One

Domesticated Part 31

"Wow! So this is your new house?" Tilly asked in awe as Raymond took them on a brief tour. His two partners in crime had come to visit for a beer and wings celebration. Both looking around with their mouths open.

"Damn Ray, this is like an addition of House and Home." Hector shook his head. "I'm almost afraid to eat and drink here, everything is so clean."

"Thanks Hector." Raymond said in disdain. "I didn't realize that my flat was that dirty. The same flat which you are currently occupying. When are you going back to your own place, anyway?"

"Soon," he nodded. "Just sorting out a few things. Have to dump her first, don't I?"

"So you're finally getting rid of the psycho. Just make sure to change your locks." Tilly reminded him.

"Right, if you guys are going to start picking at me, then I'll take the beer and leave!" he grimaced at them. "We were talking about Ray and all his gifts, remember"

"True," Tilly agreed. "So, what else did he give you?" Tilly wanted to know. Raymond had already spilled the beans on the car and clothes that Jackson had bought him. They were seated in the living room, beer ready and two buckets of wings staring at them.

"Where's your boyfriend?" Hector enquired opening a beer, noticing that Jackson was nowhere to be seen during their trip through the house. 

"He's been away for most of the day. Wouldn't tell me where he was going, except that it's something special for us." Raymond had given up trying to convince Jackson to stop getting him gifts. He never listened and would buy things in secret anyway. He still felt uncomfortable by it, because he could never afford to buy Jackson the type of gifts that he was receiving. 

Five beers and half a bottle of vodka later, Raymond got his wallet out to show them the black card that he was given.

"Noooo!" Hector immediately took the card out of his hand, turning it over to give it a closer inspection, afterward handing it Tilly. "He seriously gave that to you? I don't think that cards like that have a limit."

"Shit Ray, I didn't even know they came in black!" she handed him the card. "Have you used it already?"

"What? Are you crazy?! I'll never use this card." he turned it over in his hand, before putting it back in his wallet.

Jackson came in while they were elbow deep in wings, with the table littered with empty bottles. He watched them chatting and laughing away, like they normally did when they got together. 

"Honey, I'm home." he called, making them all turn around to look at him, Raymond rolling his eyes.

"Come over here and sit down." Raymond ordered. If he had to be honest with himself, he missed not driving home with Jackson, who'd been away for most of the day. 

"Why are we sitting on the floor, when there are more comfortable places to sit?" he enquired, sitting down, giving Raymond a kiss on the cheek. "And I thought that we weren't having a boozer this weekend. Mother, remember?" he frowned down at Raymond, who held out a beer for him.

"She's only coming on Sunday, today is Friday." he explained. "I still have the whole of Saturday to recover." The other two nodded in agreement. 

Jackson just raised an eyebrow at him, placing the beer he was handed back on the table. He never got their obsession with drinking beer, he certainly didn't like it at all, but what Raymond wanted, he will get, Jackson had decided early on. Raymond was still refusing to marry him, even though he'd asked in so many different ways. He was still hoping to surprise him into saying yes one day.

Later that evening, when the other two had left, Raymond was leaning against the couch with glassy eyes. "I don't think I can walk upstairs." he moaned at Jackson, holding his arms out, like a child wanting to be picked up.

"I swear, at some point we are going to ban drinking in this house!" he said in exasperation, lifting Raymond in his arms and carrying him to bed. Once they were laying next to each other, Raymond turned to Jackson, staring drunkenly into his eyes.

"You're really pretty, you know that?" Raymond said, reaching out to trace his finger down Jackson's nose, to his lips, stopping for a second to run his thumb over them. Jackson could only smile down at his drunken boyfriend, propping himself up on his elbow, so he could look at Raymond.

"Nobody's ever called me pretty," he laughed. "But you can call me pretty any time, my love." he whispered, not taking his eyes off Raymond. How did he manage to get such a beautiful man by his side, he wondered. And how the hell did he not realize this, until Raymond decided to leave? Leaning in, he gently placed a kiss on Raymond's lips, who immediately grabbed his head and pulled him closer. For a skinny guy, he certainly had an impressive grip, Jackson thought as Raymond refused to let go of him.

"Uhm, Cook?" he started, while Raymond's hands started to roam over his body, causing him to immediately react at his touch. When Raymond didn't show any signs of stopping, Jackson tried again, this time pulling away slightly.

"What?" Raymond looked confused as Jackson pulled away from him. He was just enjoying letting his hands slide over Jackson's body. He had to admit that up close, the man really was build like a Greek god. Or was it Roman? Whatever, he was here, he was hot and he proclaimed to be Raymond's.

"I'm not making love to you while you're drunk." he stated emphatically.

"But I'm not drunk!" Raymond moaned, moving his hands back to Jackson's stomach, soliciting a moan from Jackson. "I'm just slightly tipsy." Jackson could see that he was half asleep, so just chuckled, turned of the light and held him close until he hear Raymond's deep, even breathing.